The Junkers Ju 87, popularly known as the " Stuka ", [b] is a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe 's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 and served the Axis in World War II from beginning to end (1939–1945).

The Ju 87G was a specialized anti-tank version, fitted with two BK 3.7 (Flak 18) guns hung under the wings just outboard of the landing gears. This 37-mm-gun was a formidable weapon weighting over 363 kg (800 lb) and in wide service as ground-based Flak (anti-aircraft artillery) equipment.

Nov 7, 2020 · On the opening day of the offensive, Hans-Ulrich Rudel flew the only “official” Ju 87 G, although a significant number of Ju 87D variants were fitted with the 37 mm (1.46 in) cannon, and operated as unofficial Ju 87 Gs before the battle.

The new attack aircraft had such a low speed that it barely overtook the old reconnaissance aircraft Hs 126, contemptuously referred to in the Red Army as a “crutch”, the new Ju 87 also earned many nicknames: “Cannon bird” (Kanonenvogel) or “Thing with long sticks” (Stuka mil den Langen Stangen).

Mar 22, 2025 · Images of the bomber in screaming dives, its talon-like landing gear poised below its sharp nose, created a terrifying international impression of Germany’s Blitzkrieg onslaught from the attack on Poland in 1939, through the battle of France in …

Feb 24, 2024 · Among the most infamous of the late war variants was the Ju 87G, which saw the aircraft armed with a pair of 37mm (1.45-inch) cannons under the wings. The Ju 87G had its dive brakes removed, and while the additional gun armament added considerable weight, it proved to be an effective tank buster.

The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from Sturzkampfflugzeug, “dive bomber”) was a two-man (pilot and rear gunner) German ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, the Stuka first flew in 1935 and made its combat debut in 1936 as part of the Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War.

Ju 87G "Gustav" With the G variant, the aging airframe of the Ju 87 found new life as an anti-tank aircraft. This was the final operational version of the Stuka, and was deployed on the Eastern Front.

Ju 87 G-1 "Kanonenvogel" with its twin Bordkanone BK 3,7, 37 mm underwing gun pods. With the G variant, the aging airframe of the Ju 87 found new life as an anti-tank aircraft. This was the final operational version of the Stuka, and was deployed on the Eastern Front.

May 17, 2021 · The Battle of Kursk that summer, is considered the largest tank battle in history and was the combat debut of the Ju 87G. This new, specialized Stuka was even more vulnerable which further increased the need for fighters, so increasing numbers …